An absolute gem of a book that left me feeling deeply moved and inspired! This novel is a BEAUTIFUL exploration of self-discovery, personal growth, and the pursuit of happiness. The protagonist's journey is so relatable, and I found myself connecting with her struggles and triumphs on a profound level. I would definitely recommend this to anyone on their own self-discovery journey.
Appiah-Kubi's writing style is captivating and emotionally charged, making it hard to put the book down. The way she delves into complex emotions and relationships is both raw and authentic, creating a powerful reading experience. What sets "Her Own Happiness" apart is its message of empowerment and the reminder that true happiness comes from within. It's a poignant reminder to prioritize self-care and follow our hearts, even when faced with challenges.
Thank you for allowing me to read this ARC!

Her Own Happiness is a contemporary retelling of Emma by Jane Austen, from the perspective of Harriet. Maya, our Harriet character has built herself a fledgling career and home in Hawaii, close to her best friend, Ant. Then, a year into the COVID pandemic, everything she has worked for falls apart in a week. She is forced to return home and the only silver lining is that her friend Ant is also moving to the area to start his career in horticulture. She begins to rebuild her life and then one day she stumbled across the ambitious and wealthy Emme and is taken under her wing.

I loved many aspects of this book. There is a desperate lack of bisexual and ace representation across all literature, particularly romance, and I loved this representation in Ant and Maya. I love the story of Emma and it's really a master stroke to retell the story from the perspective of another, more likeable character. I really appreciated the story being set in COVID, as I would love novels to provide a history for future readers who don't remember this unique, but horrendous time in our lives.

For me the story was a little heavy handed with references to real life pop culture phenomenon, especially at the start of the novel. An occasional reference can be fun, but for me, especially in a retelling of a story I know so well, it was a little jarring to have so many references to specific artists or video series. I also found the pacing of the story a little hurried in some places and not given enough time in others.

I understand that the story was told from the perspective of the Harriet character from Austen's original story, but I would have liked to see a few more glimpses of the wonderful and devastating romance Emme (Emma) has. One of my favourite parts of the story was also missed entirely, despite the fact it does include Maya (Harriet).

I think many of my critiques have only come about due to the nature of retelling an old and beloved story, but I really appreciated this modern take nonetheless. It has made me curious to go and read Eden Appiah-Kubi's first book, a retelling of Pride and Prejudice.

I enjoyed this book a lot. It was a very “vibe-y” book, in that it wasn’t very plot-driven, but it was a nice coming of age-type book for the pandemic times. I liked the development of Maya and Ant’s friendship and hearing from both perspectives.

The book is well written. It tells a story about Maya living a wonderful lifestyle until her dreams shattered. She has to move back home and start life all over again. Maya’s best friend Ant has to leave his home and having feelings for her. The book is about starting over, friendships, relationships and other things.

Thanks to Montlake and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for a review.

‘Her Own Happiness’ follows Maya and Ant as they move from Hawaii to Washington, DC, during the pandemic. Maya is searching for a career to feel stable after a dramatic farewell from Hawaii. At the same time, Ant is trying to decide if he will stick by Maya or blaze his own path.
This book will give you all of the emotions, from hearing stories through the pandemic to questioning your future and even friends questioning their feelings for each other.

I was drawn to this book by the cover and the title. While on my journey of self-discovery, I love to hear others' stories too! It took me a bit to get into the story, but I couldn’t put it down once I was. I wanted to know everything about Maya and Ant and their thoughts! I loved hearing from both Ant and Maya’s POVs throughout the book. I felt connected to both characters and by the end, I wanted to reach through the book and hug them both!

If you love contemporary stories with a hint of romance, this is an excellent book for you!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC of 'Her Own Happiness' by Eden Appiah-Kubi.

I loved that this book had true diverse representation from main and supporting characters. The struggles Maya and Ant face are real and complex ones I resonated with in my on brown queer life.

The major drawbacks for me were the emotional distance I felt between myself and the characters and the overly generic plot.

We follow the lives of two characters as they struggle to discover their place, their calling, and their happiness both within and outside of each other. These characters are Maya (who is fat, black and queer) and Ant (who is tall, black, and an asexual).

Maya’s life shutdown due to COVID and had to return home and live with her parents in Washington, DC, and Ant — her best friend of 7 years tagged along. Ant is hoping to get a Smithsonian internship and Maya meets a socialite billionaire who wants to make her her protégé and give her a full makeover. Just like that. Now the question is what’s the catch with the billionaire acquaintance and what’s gonna happen to Ant should he not get the internship after leaving everything behind to follow Maya because he does not want to not be around her?

The writing is simple and engaging. The character development is impeccable. The book is in dual POV which definitely offers dimensions to the narrative as we get to see both characters' perspectives. In dual POV stories I consistently observe that one character is intelligent while the other is foolish and inadvertently makes poor choices. At times I found both characters to be insufferable.

The author touches on topics like sexuality, friendships, self discovery, moving on and mental health, particularly the harm caused by COVID.

It took me a while to get into this book and once I did, I discovered that I really liked the cosy, endearing plot. The conclusion came quite quickly. Although I am aware that is the case with practically every book, this felt way too hurried.

If you're looking for representation, a palate cleanser or a book that embraces the COVID timeframe then I highly recommend this.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a nice cozy read, perfect for summer or fall. The book addresses social, economical, racial and medical issues while firmly staying with the characters.

The characters, who are best friends, are super lovable and relatable. They are both introverts and struggle with social relationships due to the ongoing pandemic.(post lockdown). Our fmc is queer, pan and struggles with depression. The mmc is ace and struggles with attachement issues. Both have their own journey of healing, the question is: will their friendship survive?

I loved this book and recommend it to anyone who reads queer, diverse books that are not scared to address important issues.

Another great read by Eden Appiah-Kubi! She tackles representation in a way that is engaging and refreshing, builds strong female leads, and makes you want to read well past your bedtime!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC of 'Her Own Happiness' by Eden Appiah-Kubi.

'Her Own Happiness' by Eden Appiah-Kubi was realistic and funny but genuine. This novel follows 2 points of view and although it was obvious I had a favourite character, I enjoyed both stories. I don't really know what more to say except: READ THIS BOOK PLEASE.

Dual POV. Like the title suggests the book explores our MC’s pursuits in finding her own truth and fulfilment in a world that keep throwing some very hard obstacles in her way.

The diverse representation was great, every character felt organic and real.
Maya herself sincere in her wobble of faith and the societal pressures of being a black woman.

I did find it difficult sometimes with the alternating perspectives, there wasn’t much to differentiate between the narration. However, this might have been purposefully done to reflect their codependency.

The book was also set in 2021 during peak Covid days, and unfortunately for me I am just not ready to dive into a book about that just yet.

Also can’t not mention the cover of this book is stunning.

Thanks NetGalley and Montlake.

Based on my overall enjoyment, plot and writing 3.5/5 ⭐️

Wow. The representation was phenomenal.
The cast of characters were so diverse and each one felt like a fully flushed out person.

Eden’s voice is beautiful and I’ll read anything that they write!

I loved The Bennet Women, so I was excited to dive into another book by the same author. It opens with several trigger warnings, which were a nice way to set expectations. I wish all books did that.

Maya is immediately relatable and likable, and is going through the kind of thing so many people (especially women) go through in their 30s. I could have done without the religious overtones, which often felt out of place, but they are not that hard to ignore if it's not your thing.

Having grown up in Maryland, I loved all the local callouts. And the way Maya and Ant support each other, even through a will-they-wont-they tension, is really nice to see. There are lots of situational asides to frame the story, and while they provide a good background for character motivations, they slow the plot down a little.

There were a few odd conceits in the story, like continuing to remind the reader the main character is naked in a hotel room though it's not relevant to the story, but overall the characters are well-written and relatable. The reconciliation point in the main character's arc was easy to predict, but also a very feel-good turning point in the story.

Not sure if there's a typo on page 68? It seems like instead of "the feminist slant store's book collection" ought to say "the feminist slant of the store's book collection". On page 71, "to your store day" should be "to your store today". On page 174 into 175, it should say "he didn't go around" instead of "he didn't going around." On page 181, it says "Maya guessed that there was e jkl,./ redwoods worth" and I think it should say "Maya guessed that there was a redwood worth" instead.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I believe that this book truly lived up to it's title and not in a cute fluffy swoon worthy way. This was a welcome relief to me because, I could relate to Maya and her fears and insecurities I've experienced at some point as a black woman, and the author did not gloss this over, though in some cases the pace of writing felt uneven and reading from dual points of view got me to slow down and do a double take, which irritated me.
The setting around the pandemic and the effects of that both on her mental well being and social life was all too real and i could say the strength of the story.
And above all, going through the journey with Maya, to her learning to listen to, appreciate and love herself made this enjoyable.
Thank you Netgalley for the eARC.

I am afraid this was a miss for me.
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I ended up dnfing it at 31% as I was just bored, confused and admittedly a little frustrated.
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This story is very choppy, you go from one scene to another with no explanation, which really takes you out of the story because you have to go back to the previous page to figure out what you missed.
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I thought this was a romance but there is no sexual chemistry between the characters, also Ant is Asexual and Maya is a Lesbian so how would that even work? just doesn't make sense.
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Disappointing.

I was entirely drawn in by the cover, and pleasantly surprised when I read the blurb.
Having now read the entire novel, I can confidently say it was a breath of fresh air when it comes to my usual reading. Not only it's a novel on self discovery and acceptance, but it navigates a (already) hard topic around the difficult years of the pandemic. I was always aware of when the events were set, but this was most definitely not *about* the plague years. Also, the main character being in the midst of a personal crisis not only in their work life, but also touching on their wobbling faith rang true and was tastefully done.
The dual POV was executed masterfully, and I never felt urgency to rush between the characters as I enjoyed both and felt that all details that were included by either Maya or Ant were moving the plot along a very well defined trajectory.
The ending that does not feel like an end at all, but rather a continuation of the lives sparking on the page, while a little jammed and contained to the very final chapters, fit the novel perfectly. Since this is the second book by this author, I'm excited to go explore their other work!

“As women, we have been socialized to put everyone else’s needs before our own. We are expected to sacrifice our own happiness for the sake of others, whether it be our family, our partners, or our careers. But the truth is, we cannot pour from an empty cup. To truly be happy and fulfilled, we must prioritize our own needs and desires. It is only then that we can show up as our best selves and make a positive impact on the world around us.”

"Her Own Happiness" by Eden Appiah-Kubi is a refreshing and honest book that explores the challenges faced by women in finding personal happiness. The author offers a candid and insightful analysis of gender roles, cultural expectations and societal norms that can often leave women feeling trapped or unfulfilled.

One of the strengths of the book is the author's ability to share her personal experiences and struggles with the reader, making it a highly relatable and empathetic read. Appiah-Kubi's writing is clear and concise, with practical advice and actionable strategies that empower readers to make necessary changes in their own lives.

The author's approach is realistic, emphasizing the importance of self-awareness and self-care in finding happiness. The book offers valuable tools and techniques for overcoming limiting beliefs and negative thought patterns, giving readers the guidance they need to discover their own paths towards inner peace and contentment.

Overall, "Her Own Happiness" is an inspiring and empowering read that challenges traditional gender roles and encourages women to prioritize their own happiness. Appiah-Kubi's writing is honest, heartfelt and thought-provoking, making it a must-read for anyone who wants to overcome personal obstacles and find greater fulfillment in life.

”She remained in bed, feeling every part of her great loss: her home, her career, the life she'd rebuilt for herself over seven years-all gone in a matter of weeks. Sleeping or waking, she was constantly buffeted by memories.”

This was an interesting read for me.

I really liked the synopsis, so even though cutesy slice of life stories aren’t my absolute favorite genre I had confidence in this one. I was partially right; it was a comforting, relaxing read that I didn’t have to worry about. I knew that in the end Maya and Ant would be okay, no matter what conspired. That’s partly why I like these cute contemporary stories a majority of the time: they don’t stress me out! It’s almost like the book equivalent of a sit-com.

What made this book stand out though, was the real time setting. This book was meant to take place in the year 2021, during the height of Covid for a lot of people, especially those in the USA. I haven’t read any other novels that so boldly embraced the Covid timeline; most recently published books I’ve read seem to have fully immersed themselves in an alternate reality where Covid was never a thing. Neither are a bad thing, it’s simply an observation. But it was something that made me want to check this story out.

This isn’t criticism either, but I find that in many contemporary fiction (especially those with romance in them, targeted towards a young adult audience) novels written by a minority, when it comes to cultural things we often have to over-explain ourselves. Because to pander to a wider audience, or perhaps just for the ease of the reader, we can’t make references if we aren’t sure people will get it. This sort of over-explanation often feels suffocating too, like when someone doesn’t get a joke so it has to be explained aloud and it sort of loses its humor. I’m not saying that this book felt preachy in any way, it’s an observation across several books I’ve read. If anything, this book did a better job than most at having great, fluid transitions between “explanations” and references.

The characters themselves gave me mixed emotions too. While I really liked Maya and Ant in the beginning of the book, I started liking them less as the story went on. I’m not sure why, but they started becoming way more annoying as the story progressed, especially when they started making digs at Gen Z and younger people. It just came out of nowhere and kind of destroyed the two characters I was starting to like.

Something else that gave me mixed emotions was the actual structure of the book. The chapters have alternating perspectives, between Maya and Ant. While I could have appreciated this flip-flop style, it just didn’t feel well-done. Maya and Ant’s voices seemed to blend together a lot when it came to their internal dialogue, and I felt like the same story could have occurred if we had a point of view from one character throughout the whole book.

One note though, this might be genius if it was intended for them to sound similar—when Ant and Maya get into that big fight, people mention (especially to Ant) that they need to make new friends and stop relying so much on each other because it’s starting to sound like a co-dependent relationship. If they’re so co-dependent that even their narration sounds alike, that’s some genius writing. If not, then… it’s not my favorite and I wish the story could have stuck to just one perspective. I feel like I could have gotten into the story much quicker if this were the case too; it took me about 100 pages to get with it.

Something that I did really appreciate in this writing though, was when Maya mentioned hating pining and lack of communication in K-Dramas and TV. And then she and Ant proceed to do something so wonderful and actually communicate and talk to each other like people should do. It was a really sly and well-placed dig at romance novels and other main characters, and I appreciated this a lot. It really highlighted Maya and Ant’s actions too, when it came to it.

Lastly, this is just me being nit-picky, but I thought that the texting format was annoying and unnecessary. It was hard to read through (maybe it was just like that on the e-copy though?) and I wished it was just formatted normally.

This was a fun summery (okay, summery until the latter half of the book) read, and I really enjoyed this book. It was really easy to see Maya and Ant as real people, and it felt realistic, quirky, and fun. This is how slice of life should be done.

Thank you to Netgalley, Montlake, and Eden Appiah-Kubi for the ARC!